Methods and systems for loading data onto transportation vehicles

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems for a transportation vehicle are provided. One method includes initializing a first browser at an electronic device to communicate with a remote virtual loader having access to data for an in-flight entertainment (IFE) system of an aircraft; authenticating the first browser by the remote virtual loader; providing IFE data for the IFE system to the first browser by the remote virtual loader with an instruction to grant access to the IFE data by a second browser of the electronic device, the second browser authenticated by the IFE system to send information to the IFE system; and transferring the IFE data from the electronic device to the IFE system by the second browser that obtains access to the IFE data from the first browser in response to the instruction from the remote virtual loader.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application claims priority under 35 USC § 119(e) to U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/824,604 filed on Mar. 27,2019, entitled “METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR LOADING DATA ONTO TRANSPORTATIONVEHICLES”, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by referencein its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for loadingelectronic data onto transportation vehicles.

BACKGROUND

Transportation vehicles, for example, aircraft, trains, buses,recreation vehicle, boats and other similar vehicles use computingdevices for providing various functions, including entertainment, systemcontrol, content storage, and other functions. These computing devicesinclude hardware (for example, servers, switches, network interfacecards, storage adapters, storage devices and others) and software (forexample, server applications, operating systems, firmware, managementapplications, application programming interface (APIs) and others).

Transportation vehicles today may have individualized functionalequipment dedicated to a particular passenger seat, which can beutilized by the passenger, such as video and/or audio entertainmentsystems, adjustable seats, adjustable environmental controls, adjustablelighting, telephony systems, crew communication systems, and the like.Many commercial airplanes today may also have individualized video andaudio entertainment systems, often referred to as “inflightentertainment” or “IFE” systems. Such systems may also be referred to as“inflight entertainment and communication” systems as well, andtypically abbreviated as “IFEC” systems.

As one example of a function that a passenger may activate,entertainment systems for passenger carrier vehicles, such as commercialairlines, often have video displays installed at each passenger seat.For instance, video displays may be provided at each passenger seat,such as mounted at each of the seats of the passenger seats, and/or oncabin walls and/or deployable from an armrest for seats located at abulkhead, i.e., in the first row of a section. Many of these systemsallow each passenger to select from multiple video channels and/or audiochannels, or even individually select and play videos from a library ofvideos. These video displays may also provide access to games,communication applications (e.g., telephone service, messaging, etc.),Internet browsing, and other computer applications. Sometimes suchdisplays are referred to as smart monitors due to the ability to providecomputer applications and process and store data internally.

Conventional IFE systems typically use custom portable loading devicesfor loading data onto a server and then distributing the loaded data toseat devices of the IFE system via a seat distribution network. Theportable loading devices are typically provided by the IFE systemproviders.

In conventional systems, a software tool is loaded onto a computerlaptop. The software tool provides a passive background to downloadelectronic data to the IFE system. To load data onto an aircraft,software files are typically transferred to the software tool via aportable storage device, for example, a universal serial bus (USB)device. Some aircraft manufacturers do not allow portable devices toload data due to security concerns. Continuous efforts are being made todevelop computing and networking technology that would provideflexibility in securely downloading data onto an aircraft (or any othertransportation vehicle) without having to use custom hardware devices orportable media devices.

SUMMARY

Methods and systems for a transportation vehicle are provided. In oneaspect, one method includes initializing a first browser at anelectronic device to communicate with a remote virtual loader havingaccess to data for an in-flight entertainment (IFE) system of anaircraft; authenticating the first browser by the remote virtual loader;providing IFE data for the IFE system to the first browser by the remotevirtual loader with an instruction to grant access to the IFE data by asecond browser of the electronic device, the second browserauthenticated by the IFE system to send information to the IFE system;and transferring the IFE data from the electronic device to the IFEsystem by the second browser that obtains access to the IFE data fromthe first browser, in response to the instruction from the remotevirtual loader.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, yet another method isprovided. The method includes transmitting a request by an applicationof an electronic device to a remote virtual loader for data for an IFEsystem of an aircraft, the application paired with the IFE system andauthorized to send data to the IFE system; creating a virtual tunnelbetween the remote virtual loader and the electronic device; using thevirtual tunnel to transfer IFE data to the electronic device for the IFEsystem in response to the request; and transferring the IFE data fromthe electronic device to the IFE system for distribution within theaircraft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The various features of the present disclosure will now be describedwith reference to the drawings of the various aspects disclosed herein.In the drawings, the same components may have the same referencenumerals. The illustrated aspects are intended to illustrate, but not tolimit the present disclosure. The drawings include the followingFigures:

FIG. 1A shows an example of an operating environment for implementingthe various aspects of the present disclosure on an aircraft;

FIG. 1B shows an example of the operating environment on a non-aircrafttransportation vehicle type, according to one aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 2 shows an example of a content distribution system on an aircraft,used according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of a system for loading electronic dataonto an aircraft, according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of another system for loading electronicdata onto an aircraft, according to one aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of yet another system for loadingelectronic data onto an aircraft, according to one aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 6A shows a process for using the system of FIG. 3, according to oneaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6B shows a process for using the system of FIG. 4, according to oneaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6C shows a process for using the system of FIG. 5, according to oneaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6D shows another process for using the system of FIG. 5, accordingto one aspect of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 7 shows a block diagram of a computing system, used according toone aspect of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As a preliminary note, the terms “component”, “module”, “system”, andthe like as used herein are intended to refer to a computer-relatedentity, either software-executing general purpose processor, hardware,firmware or a combination thereof. For example, a component may be, butis not limited to being, a process running on a hardware processor, ahardware processor, an object, an executable, a thread of execution, aprogram, and/or a computer.

By way of illustration, both an application running on a server and theserver can be a component. One or more components may reside within aprocess and/or thread of execution, and a component may be localized onone computer and/or distributed between two or more computers. Also,these components can execute from various computer readable media havingvarious data structures stored thereon. The components may communicatevia local and/or remote processes such as in accordance with a signalhaving one or more data packets (e.g., data from one componentinteracting with another component in a local system, distributedsystem, and/or across a network such as the Internet with other systemsvia the signal).

Computer executable components can be stored, for example, onnon-transitory, computer/machine readable media including, but notlimited to, an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), CD(compact disc), DVD (digital video disk), ROM (read only memory), harddisk, EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read only memory),solid state memory device or any other storage device, in accordancewith the claimed subject matter. Conditional processing/routing may beexpressed by either if or when qualifiers, which are usedinterchangeably herein and intended to have the same meaning.

Vehicle Information System:

FIG. 1A shows an example of a generic vehicle information system 100A(also referred to as system 100A) that can be configured forinstallation aboard an aircraft 132 for using the innovative technologydescribed herein, according to one aspect of the present disclosure.When installed on an aircraft, system 100A can comprise an aircraftpassenger in-flight entertainment (IFE) system, such as the Series 2000,3000, eFX, eX2, eX3, eXW, NEXT, and/or any other inflight entertainmentsystem developed and provided by Panasonic Avionics Corporation (withoutderogation of any trademark rights of Panasonic Avionics Corporation) ofLake Forest, Calif., the assignee of this application, or any otherentity.

System 100A comprises at least one content source 113 and one or moreuser (or passenger) interface systems (may also be referred to as a seatdevice/seatback device) 114 that communicate with a real-time contentdistribution system 104. The content sources 113 may include one or moreinternal content sources, such as a media server system 112, that areinstalled aboard the aircraft 132, one or more remote (or terrestrial)content sources 116 that can be external from the aircraft 132, or adistributed content system.

The media server system 112 can be provided as an information systemcontroller for providing overall system control functions for system100A and/or for storing viewing content 124, including pre-programmedviewing content and/or content 120 downloaded to the aircraft, asdesired. The viewing content 124 can include television programmingcontent, music content, podcast content, photograph album content,audiobook content, and/or movie content without limitation. The viewingcontent 124 as shown and described herein are not exhaustive and areprovided herein for purposes of illustration only and not for purposesof limitation.

The server system 112 can include, and/or communicate with, one or moreconventional peripheral media storage systems (not shown), includingoptical media devices, such as a digital video disk (DVD) system or acompact disk (CD) system, and/or magnetic media systems, such as a videocassette recorder (VCR) system, a solid state drive (SSD) system, or ahard disk drive (HDD) system, of any suitable kind, for storing thepreprogrammed content and/or the downloaded viewing content 120.

The viewing content 124 can comprise any conventional type of audioand/or video viewing content, such as stored (or time-delayed) viewingcontent and/or live (or real-time) viewing content. As desired, theviewing content 124 can include geographical information. Alternatively,and/or additionally, to entertainment content, such as live satellitetelevision programming and/or live satellite radio programming, theviewing content likewise can include two-way communications, such asreal-time access to the Internet 118 and/or telecommunications.

Being configured to distribute and/or present the viewing content 124provided by one or more selected content sources 113, system 100A cancommunicate with the content sources 113 in real time and in anyconventional manner, including via wired and/or wireless communications.System 100A and the terrestrial content source 116, for example, cancommunicate directly and/or indirectly via an intermediate communicationsystem, such as a satellite communication system 122. System 100Athereby can receive content 120 from a selected terrestrial contentsource 116 and/or transmit (upload) content 128, including navigationand other control instructions, to the terrestrial content source 116.As desired, the terrestrial content source 116 can be configured tocommunicate with other terrestrial content sources (not shown). Theterrestrial content source 116 is shown as providing access to theInternet 118. Although shown and described as comprising the satellitecommunication system 122 for purposes of illustration, the communicationsystem can comprise any conventional type of wireless communicationsystem, such as a cellular communication system (not shown) and/or anAircraft Ground Information System (AGIS) communication system (notshown).

To facilitate communications with the terrestrial content sources 116,system 100A may also include an antenna system 110 and a transceiversystem 108 for receiving the viewing content from the remote (orterrestrial) content sources 116. The antenna system 110 preferably isdisposed outside, such as an exterior surface of a fuselage 136 of theaircraft 132. The antenna system 110 can receive content 120 from theterrestrial content source 116 and provide the content 120, as processedby the transceiver system 108, to a computer system 106 of system 100A.The computer system 106 can provide the received content 120 to themedia (or content) server system 112 and/or directly to one or more ofthe user interfaces 114 as viewing content 124. Although shown anddescribed as being separate systems for purposes of illustration, thecomputer system 106 and the media server system 112 can be at leastpartially integrated.

The user interface system 114 may be computing terminals incommunication with an access point 130. The user interface system 114provides a display device to view content. In one aspect, the userinterface system 114 includes a hardware interface to connect to anaccess point 130 that provides a wired and/or a wireless connection forthe user interface system.

In one aspect, the user interface system 114 comprises a processorexecutable application that a user downloads and installs to receive andview content via an access point 130. The user interface system 114 mayalso include an input system (not shown) for permitting the user (orpassenger) to communicate with system 100A, such as via an exchange ofcontrol signals 138. For example, the input system can permit the userto enter one or more user instructions 140 for controlling the operationof system 100A. Illustrative user instructions 140 can includeinstructions for initiating communication with the content source 113,instructions for selecting viewing content 124 for presentation, and/orinstructions for controlling the presentation of the selected viewingcontent 124. The input system can be provided in any conventional mannerand typically includes a touch screen, one or more switches (orpushbuttons), such as a keyboard or a keypad, and/or a pointing device,such as a mouse, trackball, or stylus.

In one aspect, the user interface system 114 is provided at individualpassenger seats of aircraft 132. The user interface system 114 can beadapted to different aircraft and seating arrangements and the adaptiveaspects described herein are not limited to any specific seatarrangements or user interface types.

In one aspect, portions of viewing content 124 and software files forthe IFE system are pre-loaded onto media server system 112, using thesystems of FIGS. 3-5 and the process flows of FIGS. 6A-6D, describedbelow in detail.

FIG. 1B shows an example of implementing the vehicle information system100B (may be referred to as system 100B) on an automobile 134 that mayinclude a bus, a recreational vehicle, a boat, and/or a train, or anyother type of passenger vehicle without limitation. The variouscomponents of system 100B may be similar to the components of system100A described above with respect to FIG. 1A and for brevity are notdescribed again.

Content Distribution System:

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of the content distribution system (mayalso be referred to as a distribution system, a seat distributionnetwork or a distribution network) 104 for the vehicle informationsystem 200 (similar to 100A/100B), according to one aspect of thepresent disclosure. The content distribution system 104 couples, andsupports communication between the server system 112, and the pluralityof user interface systems 114. Content for the content distributionsystem is received from the server system 112 that receives the contentvia a cloud based system, described below in detail.

The content distribution system 104, for example, can be provided as aconventional wired and/or wireless communication network, including atelephone network, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network(WAN), a campus area network (CAN), personal area network (PAN) and/or awireless local area network (WLAN) of any kind. Exemplary wireless localarea networks include wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) networks in accordancewith Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Standard802.11 and/or wireless metropolitan-area networks (MANs), which also areknown as WiMax Wireless Broadband, in accordance with IEEE Standard802.16. Preferably being configured to support high data transfer rates,the content distribution system 104 may comprise a high-speed Ethernetnetwork, such as any type of Fast Ethernet (such as 100 Base-X and/or100 Base-T/100 Base-T1) communication network and/or Gigabit (such as1000 Base-X and/or 1000 Base-T/1000Base-T1) Ethernet communicationnetwork, with a typical data transfer rate of at least approximately onehundred megabits per second (100 Mbps) or any other transfer rate. Toachieve high data transfer rates in a wireless communicationsenvironment, free-space optics (or laser) technology, millimeter wave(or microwave) technology, and/or Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology can beutilized to support communications among the various system resources,as desired.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the content distribution system 104 can beprovided as a plurality of area distribution boxes (ADBs) 206, aplurality of floor disconnect boxes (FDBs) 208, and a plurality of seatelectronics boxes (SEBs) (and/or video seat electronics boxes (VSEBs)and/or premium seat electronics boxes (PSEBs)) 210 being configured tocommunicate in real time via a plurality of wired and/or wirelesscommunication connections 212. The distribution system 104 likewise caninclude a switching system 202 for providing an interface between thedistribution system 104 and the server system 112. The switching system202 can comprise a conventional switching system, such as an Ethernetswitching system, and is configured to couple the server system 112 withthe ADBs 206. Each of the ADBs 206 is coupled with, and communicateswith, the switching system 202. In addition, the distribution system 104includes one or more wireless access points (WAPs) (130A to 130N)connected in communication with the switch system 202 for wirelessdistribution of content to user interface systems 114 including PEDs.

Each of the ADBs 202, in turn, is coupled with, and communicates with,at least one FDB 208. Although the ADBs 206 and the associated FDBs 208can be coupled in any conventional configuration, the associated FDBs208 preferably are disposed in a star network topology about a centralarea distribution box 206 as illustrated in FIG. 2. Each FDB 208 iscoupled with, and services, a plurality of daisy-chains of SEBs 210. TheSEBs 210, in turn, are configured to communicate with the user interfacesystems 114. Each SEB 210 can support one or more of the user interfacesystems 114.

The switching systems 202, the area distribution boxes 206, the FDBs208, the SEBs (and/or VSEBs), and/or PSEBs) 210, the antenna system 110,the transceiver system 108, the content source 113, the server system112, and other system resources of the vehicle information systempreferably are provided as line replaceable units (LRUs). The use ofLRUs facilitate maintenance of the vehicle information system 200because a defective LRU can simply be removed from the vehicleinformation system 200 and replaced with a new (or different) LRU. Thedefective LRU thereafter can be repaired for subsequent installation.Advantageously, the use of LRUs can promote flexibility in configuringthe content distribution system 104 by permitting ready modification ofthe number, arrangement, and/or configuration of the system resources ofthe content distribution system 104. The content distribution system 104likewise can be readily upgraded by replacing any obsolete LRUs with newLRUs.

The distribution system 104 can include at least one FDB internal portbypass connection 214 and/or at least one SEB loopback connection 216.Each FDB internal port bypass connection 214 is a communicationconnection 212 that permits FDBs 208 associated with different ADBs 206to directly communicate. Each SEB loopback connection 216 is acommunication connection 212 that directly couples the last SEB 210 ineach daisy-chain of SEBs 210 for a selected FDB 208 as shown in FIG. 2.Each SEB loopback connection 216 therefore forms a loopback path amongthe daisy-chained SEBs 210 coupled with the relevant FDB 208.

It is noteworthy that the various aspects of the present disclosure maybe implemented without using FDB 208. When FDB 208 is not used, ADB 206communicates directly with SEB 210 and/or server system 112 maycommunicate directly with SEB 210 or the seats. The various aspects ofthe present disclosure are not limited to any specific networkconfiguration.

System 300:

FIG. 3 shows a system 300 where an electronic device (also referred toas a personal electronic device (“PED”)) 304 interfaces with cloud 302and the media server 112 for distributing electronic data (e.g., mediacontent, software updates, structured and/or unstructured information)to seat devices of an aircraft. The term “cloud” is intended to refer toa network, for example, the Internet, in which cloud computing allowsshared resources, for instance, electronic data (such as software andinformation) to be available on-demand (assuming a wired or wirelessconnectivity to the cloud is available). Cloud 302 provides anabstraction between computing resource and its underlying technicalarchitecture (e.g., servers, storage, networks), enabling convenient,on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computingresources that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimalmanagement effort or service provider interaction.

Typical cloud computing providers deliver applications online which areaccessed from another web service or software such as a web browser,while the electronic data can be stored remotely on servers. The cloudcomputing architecture uses a layered approach for providing applicationservices. A first layer is an application layer that is executed atclient computers. After the application layer, cloud platform and cloudinfrastructure is provided, followed by a server layer includinghardware and computer software designed for cloud specific services.

In one aspect, cloud 302 may be provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS)(without derogation of any trademark rights). However, the adaptiveaspects may be implemented using other cloud platforms, such MicrosoftAzure, Google Cloud, and/or other cloud service providers. AWS providesa collection of on-demand public cloud services in different categories,including compute, storage, and database services.

Cloud 302 may also leverage an “AWS Elastic Compute Cloud” that may alsobe referred to as “AWS EC2”, a service providing scalable computecapacity in the AWS cloud. A virtual machine (VM) in AWS EC2 is packagedand deployed as an Amazon Machine Image (AMI) file. In one aspect, cloud302 may include the use of an AWS Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), a servicethat enables configuration of a logically isolated section of the AWScloud providing secured access.

In one aspect, cloud 302 stores an image of a virtual loader system(VLSX) 306 and an IFE data store 308 that is used to store IFE data. TheIFE data store 308 is a logical representation of the IFE data in thecloud 302. The physical IFE data may be stored at any location, accessedvia a network connection. In one aspect, the IFE data may include IFEsoftware, IFE software updates, media files, or any other informationused by the IFE system. The IFE software may include IFE libraries androutines used by an IFE layer 320 executed by the media server 112. TheIFE software may vary based on the type of IFE hardware and system usedby an aircraft. It is noteworthy that the IFE data store 308 may storedata and software as objects using object based storage, rather thantraditional files managed by file systems. The adaptive aspectsdescribed herein are not limited to any specific structure of the IFEdata store 308.

The VLSX image 306 may be stored as a “Docker” image file. Docker is asoftware framework for building and running virtual machines (VMs) usingthe Linux kernel (without derogation of any third party trademarkrights). A Docker container is typically used for using an associatedimage file. A Docker container is an active or running instantiation ofa Docker image. Each Docker container provides isolation and resembles alightweight VM. However, Docker can be used without the overhead of avirtual machine monitor (e.g. a Hypervisor). It is noteworthy that manyDocker containers can run simultaneously on the same Linux basedcomputing system.

In one aspect, the VLSX image 306 and the IFE data are downloaded to thePED 304. The VLSX 314 is then executed in a virtual machine (VM)environment. FIG. 3 illustrates VLSX 312 executing/running within VM312.

Typically, in a virtual machine environment a physical resource istime-shared among a plurality of independently operating processorexecutable VMs. Each VM may function as a self-contained platform,running its own operating system (OS) and computer executable,application software. The computer executable instructions running in aVM may be collectively referred to herein as “guest software”. Inaddition, resources available within the VM may be referred to herein as“guest resources.”

The guest software expects to operate as if it were running on adedicated computer rather than in a VM. That is, the guest softwareexpects to control various events and have access to hardware resourceson a physical computing system (e.g., a PED 304). The hardware resourcemay include one or more processors, resources resident on the processors(e.g., control registers, caches and others), memory (instructionsresiding in memory, e.g., descriptor tables), and other resources (e.g.,input/output devices, host attached storage, network attached storage orother like storage) that reside in a physical machine or are coupled tothe host system.

In one aspect, PED 304 includes or interfaces with a virtual machinemonitor (VMM) (not shown), for example, a processor executed, Hyper-Vlayer provided by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. (withoutderogation of any third party trademark rights), a Hypervisor layerprovided by VMWare Inc. (without derogation of any third party trademarkrights), or any other type. The VMM manages a plurality of guest OSs andmay also include or interface with a virtualization layer (VIL) (notshown) that provides one or more virtualized hardware resources to theguest OS of VM 312.

It is noteworthy that different vendors provide different virtualizationenvironments, for example, Microsoft Corporation and VMware Corporation,providing Hyper-V and Hypervisor based virtual environments,respectively. The generic virtualization environment of FIG. 3 may becustomized depending on the virtual environment to implement the variousaspects of the present disclosure.

In one aspect, PED 304 connects to the IFE system (or the IFE layer 320)via a network interface 318. The IFE layer 320 provides an IFE systemidentifier to the VLSX 314. PED 304 provides the system identifier to acloud based system via a communication interface 310. Based on the IFEsystem identifier, an appropriate VLSX image 306 and the relevant IFEdata 316 from the IFE data store 308 are downloaded to PED 304. The IFEdata 316 is then provided to the IFE layer 320 via the network interface318. The IFE data 316 is distributed in the aircraft via the contentdistribution system 104 (or 200) described above in detail.

It is noteworthy that communication interface 310 and network interface318 include hardware and logic for interfacing with cloud 302 and mediaserver 112, respectively. The hardware and logic will vary based on theprotocols and standards used for network communication, includingEthernet based protocols or any other protocol. As an example,communication interface 310 and network interface 318 include one ormore ports that receive and transmit data. The interface 310 and 318also include a processor, memory and storage with firmware instructionsfor controlling the overall operations of the interface for sending andreceiving data. Details of using system 300 are provided below withrespect to FIG. 6A.

System 400:

FIG. 4 shows an example of a system 400 where VLSX 404 is executed by VM402 within cloud 302, in another aspect of the present disclosure. VLSX404 has access to the IFE data store 308. The PED 304 executes an IFEloader application 408 that interfaces with VLSX 404. The IFE loaderapplication 408 may be a custom application with local privileges tomodify PED 304 network configurations to match the parameters needed tointerface with media server 112. The parameters may include IP (Internetprotocol) addresses, VLAN (virtual local area network) identifiers orany other parameters that may be used to interface with media server112. The IFE loader application 408 may provide a browser to interfacewith VLSX 404 in the cloud 302.

In one aspect, the IFE loader application 408 may be stored on anon-transitory storage medium, such as a hard drive, CD, CD-ROM, DVD,flash memory, or any other storage device (volatile or non-volatile),etc. For example, the IFE loader application 408 may be stored on astorage device of an application store (“App Store”) (not shown) such asthat operated by Apple, Inc. under the trademark ITUNES, the applicationstore operated by Google, Inc. under the trademark GOOGLE PLAY, or theapplication store operated by Microsoft Corporation under the trademarkWINDOWS STORE. Alternatively, the app store may be a website server fora website operated by a provider of an on-board management system suchas the manufacturer or a carrier operating the vehicle (e.g., acommercial airline, train operator, cruise line, bus line, etc.).

The IFE loader application 408 downloads IFE data from the cloud 302 andprovides the IFE data to media server 112 via the network interface 318,as described below in detail.

In one aspect, the IFE loader application 408 is paired with the IFElayer 320 and sends a request to VLSX 404 for the IFE data. The term“pair” means that the IFE loader application 408 is associated andauthenticated by the media server 112 to send and receive information.The request may provide information regarding the IFE system type. VLSX404 creates a virtual tunnel 410 for downloading the IFE data from thecloud 302 to PED 304. Once the IFE data has been received by the PED304, the data is transferred from network interface 318 to media server112 for distribution. Details of using system 400 are provided belowwith respect to FIG. 6B.

System 500:

FIG. 5 shows a system 500 where a loader application of system 400 isnot used, according to yet another aspect of the present disclosure. Inone aspect, in system 500, PED 304 executes a VLSX browser 502 (may bereferred to as browser 502) and an IFE browser 504 (may be referred toas browser 504). Browser 502 is provided with certificate 506 tointerface with VLSX 404, while browser 504 is provided with certificate508 to interface with media server 112 and the IFE layer 320.Certificates 506 and 508 are electronic signatures/documents usingpublic key infrastructure (PKI) keys to identify an individual, aserver, a company, or any other entity. Certificates 506 and 508 areauthentication tools to enable communication between two or moreapplications. Certificates 506 and 508 may be issued by certificateauthorities (CAs) (not shown), which are entities that validate andissue certificates.

In one aspect, an authentication API 510 is presented to a user forauthentication by media server 112. Browser 504 is initialized using aURL (uniform resource locator) that is associated only with the IFEsystem of the aircraft. The certificate 508 can be embedded within theURL. Browser 504 connects to the IFE system (e.g., IFE layer 320) usinga secured encrypted connection.

To initiate communication with VLSX 404, browser 502 is initialized andconnects to cloud 302. Browser 502 provides certificate 506 to VLSX 404for authentication. Browser 502 also requests IFE data from VLSX 404.VLSX 404 sends the IFE data to browser 502 with a command instructingbrowser 502 to provide access to the IFE data to browser 504. Browser502 and 504 can communicate with each other using sockets, cookies,JavaScript or via local files. It is noteworthy that enabling browsers502 and 504 to communicate with each other is novel and non-obviousbecause conventional browsers are not designed to communicate with eachother for privacy reasons.

In another aspect, when browser 504 is initialized, it receives an IFEidentifier from media server 112. Browser 504 provides the identifier tobrowser 502 that interfaces with VLSX 404 to receive IFE data specificto the IFE system. The IFE data is provided to browser 502, which isthen provided to browser 504. The IFE data is then provided to mediaserver 112 for distribution using a seat distribution network.

In one aspect system 500 does not use any specific application orsoftware for loading IFE data to media server 112. Details of usingsystem 500 are provided below with respect to FIGS. 6C-6D.

Process Flows:

FIG. 6A shows a process 600 for using system 300, according to oneaspect of the present disclosure. Process 600 starts in block B602 whenthe cloud 302, PED 304 and media server 112 have been initialized. Inblock B604, PED 304 is connected to the media server 112. PED 304 goesthrough an authentication process to interface with the media server 112by providing security credentials. Upon authentication, PED 304retrieves an IFE system identifier that identifies the IFE systemdeployed at aircraft 132. The identifier may indicate the type ofhardware and software that is being used by the IFE system.

In block B606, the PED 304 provides the identifier to a cloud basedsystem via the communication interface 310. In one aspect, the cloudbased system may be a cloud manager device that manages the cloud 302.

Based on the type of IFE system that is being used by the aircraft, inblock B608, the VLSX image 306 is downloaded via a network connection tothe PED 304. IFE data from IFE data store 308 corresponding to the IFEidentifier is also provided to PED 304 and stored as IFE data 316.Thereafter, in block B610, the VLSX 314 is executed at PED 304 within VM312.

In block B612, the IFE data 316 is provided to media server 112 vianetwork interface 318. The media server 112 then provides the IFE data316 to the content distribution system 104 for distribution.

FIG. 6B shows a process 620 for using system 400 of FIG. 4, according toone aspect of the present disclosure. Process 620 begins in block B622,when the cloud 302, PED 304 and media server 112 are operational andinitialized. In block B624, VM 402 with the VLSX 404 is initialized inthe cloud 302. The IFE loader application 408 is also initialized at PED304.

In block B626, the IFE loader application 408 sends a request to VLSX404 for IFE data. In block B628, a virtual tunnel 410 is created totransfer the IFE data securely to PED 304. In block B630, the IFE datais downloaded to PED 304, and in block B632, the IFE data is transferredto the media server 112 via the network interface 318 for distribution.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided. Themethod includes transmitting a request by an application (e.g., 408) ofan electronic device (e.g., 304) to a remote virtual loader (e.g. 404)for data for an IFE system (e.g., 320) of an aircraft, the applicationpaired with the IFE system and authorized to send content to the IFEsystem; creating a virtual tunnel (e.g., 410) between the remote virtualloader and the electronic device; using the virtual tunnel to transferIFE data to the electronic device for the IFE system in response to therequest; and transferring the IFE data from the electronic device to theIFE system for distribution within the aircraft.

In one aspect, the remote virtual loader is executed within a virtualmachine (e.g., 402) of a cloud based system (302). The IFE data isprovided by the electronic device to a server (e.g., 112) fordistribution, using a distribution network (e.g., 200). The applicationprovides an IFE system identifier to the remote virtual loader for theIFE data. The remote virtual loader retrieves the IFE data based on theIFE system identifier. The virtual tunnel links the remote virtualloader with a port (e.g., 318) of the electronic device, the port usedto transfer the IFE data to the IFE system.

FIG. 6C shows a process 640 for using system 500 of FIG. 5, according toone aspect of the present disclosure. The process begins in block B642,when the cloud 302, PED 304 and media server 112 are initialized andoperational.

In block B644, certificates 506 and 508 are loaded onto PED 304 so thatthe PED 304 can communicate with both the cloud 302 and the media server112. In block B646, browser 502 is initialized using API 510 andcertificates 506. In block B648, browser 502 connects to VM 402 andprovides the certificate 506 to VLSX 404 for authentication. The browser502 also provides an identifier associated with the IFE system andbrowser 504 to VLSX 404.

In block B650, browser 504 is initialized using API 510. Thereafter,browser 504 connects to media server 112 using certificate 508.

In block B652, browser 502 receives the IFE data from the IFE data store308 with a command instructing browser 502 to provide access to the IFEdata to browser 504. The IFE data is specific to the IFE system used bythe aircraft. In one aspect, IFE data received by browser 502 is storedat a memory of PED 304. Browser 502 notifies browser 504 of the memorylocation (e.g., by a pointer). The IFE data is then accessed by browser504 and sent to the media server 112 for distribution, in block B654.

FIG. 6D shows another process 660 for using system 500, according to oneaspect of the present disclosure. The process begins in block B662, whenthe cloud 302, PED 304 and the media server 112 are initialized andoperational. In block B664, certificates 506 and 508 are loaded onto PED304 so that PED 304 can communicate with the cloud 302 and the mediaserver 112.

In block B666, browser 504 is initialized using API 510 and presentscertificates 508 to the media server 112. Upon authentication, mediaserver 112 provides an identifier identifying the deployed IFE system atthe aircraft. The identifier provides an indication of what type of IFEsoftware and data files need to be downloaded from the IFE data store308.

In block B668, browser 504 provides the identifier to browser 502 thatinterfaces with VLSX 404 after being authenticated. Browser 502 usescertificates 506 to securely communicate with VLSX 404.

In block B670, browser 502 provides the IFE system identifier to VLSX404 and requests the IFE data for the identified IFE system.

In block B672, VLSX 404 uses the IFE system identifier to select IFEdata from the IFE data store 308. VLSX 404 provides the IFE data tobrowser 502 with a command instructing browser 502 to grant access tothe IFE data to browser 504. In one aspect, IFE data received by browser502 is stored at a memory of PED 304. Browser 502 notifies browser 504of the memory location (e.g., by a pointer).

In block B674, browser 504 accesses the downloaded IFE data and sendsthe IFE data to media server 112 via network interface 318 fordistribution within the aircraft.

In one aspect, methods and systems for a transportation vehicle areprovided. One method includes initializing a first browser (e.g., 502)at an electronic device to communicate with a remote virtual loader(e.g., 404) having access to data for an IFE system of an aircraft;authenticating the first browser by the remote virtual loader; providingIFE data for the IFE system to the first browser by the remote virtualloader with an instruction to grant access to the IFE data by a secondbrowser (e.g., 504) of the electronic device, the second browserauthenticated by the IFE system (e.g., 320) to send information to theIFE system; and transferring the IFE data from the electronic device tothe IFE system by the second browser that obtains access to the IFE datafrom the first browser in response to the instruction from the remotevirtual loader.

In one aspect, the remote virtual loader is hosted by a virtual machine(e.g., 402) in a cloud based system (e.g., 302). The first browser usesa first certificate (e.g., 506) stored by the electronic device forauthentication by the remote virtual loader. The second browser uses asecond certificate (e.g., 508) stored at the electronic device forauthentication by the IFE system. The second browser provides an IFEsystem identifier to the first browser for obtaining access to the IFEdata. The first browser provides the IFE system identifier to the remotevirtual loader with a request for the IFE data. The IFE data from thesecond browser is received by a server (e.g., 112) of the IFE system anddistributed to a plurality of seat devices via a seat distributionnetwork (e.g., 200).

In one aspect, the processes and systems described herein provide anefficient virtual loader tool that can be accessed from anywhere with anetwork connection. Specialized hardware is not required as long asproper authentication digital certificates are used for authenticationand loading content.

Processing System:

FIG. 7 is a high-level block diagram showing an example of thearchitecture of a processing system 700 that may be used according toone aspect. The processing system 700 can represent PED 304, mediaserver 112, computing system 106, or any other device that attempts tointerface with a vehicle computing device. Note that certain standardand well-known components which are not germane to the present aspectsare not shown in FIG. 7.

The processing system 700 includes one or more processor(s) 702 andmemory 704, coupled to a bus system 705. The bus system 705 shown inFIG. 7 is an abstraction that represents any one or more separatephysical buses and/or point-to-point connections, connected byappropriate bridges, adapters and/or controllers. The bus system 705,therefore, may include, for example, a system bus, a PeripheralComponent Interconnect (PCI) bus, a HyperTransport or industry standardarchitecture (ISA) bus, a small computer system interface (SCSI) bus, auniversal serial bus (USB), or an Institute of Electrical andElectronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 1394 bus (sometimes referred to as“Firewire”) or any other interconnect type.

The processor(s) 702 are the central processing units (CPUs) of theprocessing system 700 and, thus, control its overall operation. Incertain aspects, the processors 702 accomplish this by executingsoftware stored in memory 704. A processor 702 may be, or may include,one or more programmable general-purpose or special-purposemicroprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), programmablecontrollers, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs),programmable logic devices (PLDs), or the like, or a combination of suchdevices.

Memory 704 represents any form of random access memory (RAM), read-onlymemory (ROM), flash memory, or the like, or a combination of suchdevices. Memory 704 includes the main memory of the processing system700. Instructions 706 may be used to implement the process blocks ofFIGS. 6A-6D described above.

Also connected to the processors 702 through the bus system 705 are oneor more internal mass storage devices 710, and a network adapter 712.Internal mass storage devices 710 may be, or may include anyconventional medium for storing large volumes of data in a non-volatilemanner, such as one or more magnetic or optical based disks, flashmemory, or solid-state drive.

The network adapter 712 provides the processing system 700 with theability to communicate with remote devices (e.g., over a network and maybe, for example, an Ethernet adapter or the like.

The processing system 700 also includes one or more input/output (I/O)devices 708 coupled to the bus system 705. The I/O devices 708 mayinclude, for example, a display device, a keyboard, a mouse, etc. TheI/O device may be in the form of a handset having one or more of theforegoing components, such as a display with a real or virtual keyboard,buttons, and/or other touch-sensitive surfaces.

Thus, methods and systems for loading content on a transportationvehicle have been described. Note that references throughout thisspecification to “one aspect” (or “embodiment”) or “an aspect” mean thata particular feature, structure or characteristic described inconnection with the aspect is included in at least one aspect of thepresent disclosure. Therefore, it is emphasized and should beappreciated that two or more references to “an aspect” or “one aspect”or “an alternative aspect” in various portions of this specification arenot necessarily all referring to the same aspect. Furthermore, theparticular features, structures or characteristics being referred to maybe combined as suitable in one or more aspects of the disclosure, aswill be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art.

While the present disclosure is described above with respect to what iscurrently considered its preferred aspects, it is to be understood thatthe disclosure is not limited to that described above. To the contrary,the disclosure is intended to cover various modifications and equivalentarrangements within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: initializing a firstbrowser on an electronic device to communicate with a remote virtualloader having access to data for an in-flight entertainment (IFE) systemof an aircraft; authenticating the first browser by the remote virtualloader; providing IFE data for the IFE system to the first browser bythe remote virtual loader with an instruction to grant access to the IFEdata by a second browser of the electronic device, the second browserauthenticated by the IFE system to send information to the IFE system;and transferring the IFE data from the electronic device to the IFEsystem by the second browser that obtains access to the IFE data fromthe first browser in response to the instruction from the remote virtualloader.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote virtual loader ishosted by a virtual machine in a cloud based system.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the first browser uses a first certificate stored bythe electronic device for authentication by the remote virtual loader.4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second browser uses a secondcertificate stored at the electronic device for authentication by theIFE system.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second browserprovides an IFE system identifier to the first browser for obtainingaccess to the IFE data.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the firstbrowser provides the IFE system identifier to the remote virtual loaderwith a request for the IFE data.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein theIFE data from the second browser is received by a server of the IFEsystem and distributed to a plurality of seat devices via a seatdistribution network.
 8. A method, comprising: transmitting a request byan application of an electronic device to a remote virtual loader fordata for an in-flight entertainment (IFE) system of an aircraft, theapplication paired with the IFE system and authorized to send content tothe IFE system; creating a virtual tunnel between the remote virtualloader and the electronic device; using the virtual tunnel to transferIFE data for the IFE system to the electronic device, in response to therequest; and transferring the IFE data from the electronic device to theIFE system for distribution within the aircraft.
 9. The method of claim8, wherein the remote virtual loader is executed within a virtualmachine of a cloud based system.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein theIFE data is provided by the electronic device to a server fordistribution, using a distribution network.
 11. The method of claim 8,wherein the application provides an IFE system identifier to the remotevirtual loader for the IFE data.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein theremote virtual loader retrieves the IFE data based on the IFE systemidentifier.
 13. The method of claim 8, wherein the virtual tunnel linksthe remote virtual loader with a port of the electronic device, the portused to transfer the IFE data to the IFE system.
 14. A non-transitorymachine-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions forperforming a method, comprising machine executable code which whenexecuted by at least one machine, causes the machine to: initialize afirst browser at an electronic device to communicate with a remotevirtual loader having access to data for an in-flight entertainment(IFE) system of an aircraft; authenticate the first browser by theremote virtual loader; provide IFE data for the IFE system to the firstbrowser by the remote virtual loader with an instruction to grant accessto the IFE data by a second browser of the electronic device, the secondbrowser authenticated by the IFE system to send information to the IFEsystem; and transfer the IFE data from the electronic device to the IFEsystem by the second browser that obtains access to the IFE data fromthe first browser in response to the instruction from the remote virtualloader.
 15. The storage medium of claim 14, wherein the remote virtualloader is hosted by a virtual machine in a cloud based system.
 16. Thestorage medium of claim 14, wherein the first browser uses a firstcertificate stored by the electronic device for authentication by theremote virtual loader.
 17. The storage medium of claim 14, wherein thesecond browser uses a second certificate stored at the electronic devicefor authentication by the IFE system.
 18. The storage medium of claim14, wherein the second browser provides an IFE system identifier to thefirst browser for obtaining access to the IFE data.
 19. The storagemedium of claim 18, wherein the first browser provides the IFE systemidentifier to the remote virtual loader with a request for the IFE data.20. The storage medium of claim 14, wherein the IFE data from the secondbrowser is received by a server of the IFE system and distributed to aplurality of seat devices via a seat distribution network.